SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THE LILAC TIME – DANCE TILL ALL THE STARS COME DOWN

THE LILAC TIME
DANCE TILL ALL THE STARS COME DOWN
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The Lilac Time features brothers Stephen and Nick Duffy, and Stephen’s wife, Claire. Dance Till All The Stars Come Down is their 12th album, and first since 2019’s Return To Us. Over the years the band has experimented with folk, country, pop, and even dance. But, here on Dance Till All The Stars Come Down they do what they do best: sparse, folky songs, written by Stephen Duffy. This is a melancholy affair, and yet it is astoundingly beautiful throughout.

Stephen Duffy’s voice has matured, but it is still trademark Duffy. In some songs, such as “On The Last Days Of Summer”, his voice is full of emotion and it sounds like he catches himself. His harmonies with Claire are almost otherworldly. Each song has a strong melody and is beautifully arranged and produced. The songs burrow into the listener’s brain and stay there.

The lyrics are stellar and linger after the song has ended. “Your Vermillion Cliffs” features the strong lyric “It’s not what happens to you it’s how you react / It’s not what they say to you t’is what you say back.” Very gentle and yet powerful words. Sometimes funny, sometimes witty, a bit nostalgic and kind of sad. At times, the lyrics are absolutely heartbreaking.

Dance Till All The Stars Come Down is an album that reminds me of Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks, Paul McCartney’s Flaming Pie, or Nick Lowe’s Dig My Mood. It is personal yet inviting. One can easily identify with many of the songs, and Stephen Duffy also opens doors for the listener to see things in a different way.

Dance Till All The Stars Come Down is a very accessible album, full of strong songs that all come together. It demands to be heard from beginning to end. The Lilac Time are promising a great deal of old and new material next year. I hope it is true, because even on year is too long to wait for new songs from this talented band.

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